Smoothnose wedgefish

Smoothnose wedgefish
Conservation status
	; Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Rhinopristiformes
Family:	Rhinidae
Genus:	Rhynchobatus
Species:	R. laevis
Binomial name
	Rhynchobatus laevis; (Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)

The smoothnose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus laevis) is a species of fish in the Rhinidae family. It is found in northern Indian Ocean and northwestern Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf east to Bangladesh, and South China Sea to southern Japan.[2] Populations elsewhere are now recognized as separate species.[3] Its natural habitat is shallow coastal seas and off the mouths of rivers.[2] It is threatened by habitat loss and overfishing.[1]

Due to confusion with relatives it is poorly known, but it likely reaches at least 2 m (6.6 ft) in length.[2] Its upperparts are greyish or brownish with 4–5 rows of white spots along each side; above each pectoral fin there is a dark spot surrounded by several smaller white spots.[2] Except for its denser white spotting, it closely resembles the eyebrow wedgefish (R. palpebratus), but their ranges do not overlap.[2]

Sources

Kyne, P.M. & Jabado, R.W. 2019. Rhynchobatus laevis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T41854A124422344. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T41854A124422344.en. Downloaded on 26 July 2019.
Last; White; de Carvalho; Séret; Stehmann; Naylor, eds. (2016). Rays of the World. CSIRO. pp. 68–75. ISBN 9780643109148.
Last, P.R., Ho, H.-C. & Chen, R.-R. (2013): A new species of wedgefish, Rhynchobatus immaculatus (Chondrichthyes, Rhynchobatidae), from Taiwan. Pp. 185-198 in: de Carvalho, M.R., Ebert, D.A., Ho, H.-C. & White, W.T. (eds.) : Systematics and biodiversity of sharks, rays, and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of Taiwan. Zootaxa, 3752 (1): 1–386.

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[IUCN-1] Kyne, P.M. & Jabado, R.W. 2019. Rhynchobatus laevis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T41854A124422344. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T41854A124422344.en. Downloaded on 26 July 2019.

[LastWhite2016-2] Last; White; de Carvalho; Séret; Stehmann; Naylor, eds. (2016). Rays of the World. CSIRO. pp. 68–75. ISBN 9780643109148.

[3] Last, P.R., Ho, H.-C. & Chen, R.-R. (2013): A new species of wedgefish, Rhynchobatus immaculatus (Chondrichthyes, Rhynchobatidae), from Taiwan. Pp. 185-198 in: de Carvalho, M.R., Ebert, D.A., Ho, H.-C. & White, W.T. (eds.) : Systematics and biodiversity of sharks, rays, and chimaeras (Chondrichthyes) of Taiwan. Zootaxa, 3752 (1): 1–386.